2007 Louis Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Chapelle

Happy April Fools Day!  No, I'm not joking on this post, but at least it's the first Saturday of the month, which means it's Cellar Saturday!  That fun day when I open a bottle that's at least a decade old that's been waiting to be tried.  Today was a day of spreading mulch around the yard, so full of earthy aromas, which means it's probably appropriate to enjoy a nice earthy pinot noir from Burgundy tonight!  And for this Cellar Saturday, I've opened a bottle of 2007 Louis Boillot Volnay 1er Cru from Clos de la Chapelle, one of the 30 premier crus from Volnay.  I believe I may have received this wine as a gift from my boss, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is very light in color, almost appearing like a rose.  The nose is a lovely combination of bright red berries, floral notes and a heaping helping of earthy goodness.  The taste is interesting, as you have a good bit of ripe red fruit, raspberry, cherry, mulberry, that has a nice balance of acidity, before you transition to some wonderful earthy mineral notes.  The finish is quite dry but very elegant, with a reprise of mild acidity from the very well integrated tannins.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nice Burgundy, but unfortunately I'm not the biggest fan of pinot noir.  This wine would be fantastic with lamb, mushroom risotto or about any hearty, earthy dish.  Tonight I am enjoying this with some classic comfort food, stuffed cabbage!  I used to love my mom's stuffed cabbage, but I put on a little twist simmering it with some arrabiata sauce and top with a bit of shaved parmesan.  Cheers!

2013 Origami Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Black Friday!  Tonight amidst all the hubbub, I've decided to open a bottle of 2013 Origami Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, as I recently bought a case from Wines Till Sold Out.  I must admit this was not at all what I was expecting from a '13 vintage Napa Cabernet, in fact at first glance it appears to be a very nice Pinot Noir, with very light body and classic Pinot aromatics.  So let's see how things develop!

As mentioned this is a very light bodied wine, with lovely ruby color in the glass.  The nose is everything a pinot should be, lovely ripe red fruit, raspberries, tart cherries, green grass and dusty limestone.  The taste is such a mind blowing reversal, as your nose has you fully prepared for a Pinot and the taste is all Cabernet, with a blast of ripe red fruit, cherry, blackberry and raspberry, that transitions to some lovely vanilla bean, cardamom and oak notes midpalate.  The finish is just lovely, with rather subdued tannins providing a nice base for the long, smooth dry finish that beckons another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it doesn't seem like it at first, but this is a wonderful Cabernet that plays mind games on the nose.  Although this would be a great wine with red meat, tonight I am enjoying this with a more Pinot inspired pairing with snow crab legs, drawn butter, cornbread and steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2011 Macchia "Amorous" Lodi Sangiovese

So tonight I am enjoying two lovely wines from Lodi, California for the Snooth.com Lodi virtual tasting (you can check it out here: http://www.snooth.com/virtual-tasting/video/lodi-virtual-tasting-room/) and the first one I am tasting tonight is the 2011 Macchia "Amorous" Sangiovese.  This will be interesting, since I very partial to Lodi Zinfandels, but I don't think I've tasted any other varietals from Lodi!  Here goes nothing!

The color of this wine is a lighter garnet all around, very similar to many Sangiovese from Italy.  The nose is very interesting, with some tobacco, lovely dry spice notes, black pepper and a hint of fresh mint and lots and lots of oak.  The taste has a wonderful floral quality up front, which eases into some lighter fruit notes and fresh herbs midpalate.  The finish is very smooth, with lovely notes of gravel and mint that is quite dry.  This wine strikes me as a very food friendly wine, as the more subtle flavor profile would tend to compliment a wide variety of dishes, from rich pastas, to grilled salmon to pizza on a Friday night!

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8, as I think it's a very nice example of a classic Sangiovese that would be great with food, or just sipping on the patio on a summer afternoon. It's also a decent value at about $22, an added plus.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine and it's companion with spicy noodles from a local Thai restaurant, I love Thai food and this wine really holds up nicely to the spice! This would also be great with a lot of pasta dishes, and especially braciole, so long since I've had good braciole!

2009 Bolla Sangiovese di Romagna

So tonight I am enjoying a bottle of my latest wine club selection, the 2009 Bolla Sangiovese di Romagna.  Now I chose this one as the August selection since for the most part, Sangiovese tends to be a lighter red wine that can be ideal for the summer months, particularly as hot as this summer has been!

Now Bolla has been a label that I've not had much of, since the label was owned by a large liquor company for a number of years, and they were really focused on quantity rather than quality, and that really showed up in their wines.  A few years ago, new owners took over the Bolla label, and although not a panacea, they have at least paid some attention to the quality of wines in the bottle.

This wine certainly has the lighter style of a typical Sangiovese, with a bright ruby color in the glass.  The nose is a mix of bright red fruit, with hints of leather and floral notes.  The taste is very fruit forward, with tastes of ripe berries transitioning to licorice and notes of fresh herbs and floral notes mid-palate.  The tannins are somewhat mellow, making for a pleasant, dry finish.  I will also note that this wine benefits from some time in the glass, as allowing it to breathe a bit helps the flavors open up quite a bit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a reasonable 6.5, as the quality has improved from the big lot wines I remember from Bolla, but they still have work to do.  However I will give this wine ample credit for value, at a price of only $7, it's certainly worth it!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the most traditional of summer fare, an Angus hamburger with sweet potato fries!  Delish!

2004 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, here's a new wine from my recent road trip out west, the 2004 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now as I traveled, I learned that wine making has taken root in a variety of spots, from Missouri to Iowa, to Montana and Idaho.  It appears the Snake River Valley has become somewhat of an emerging wine region, perhaps comparable to Washington 30 or 40 years ago.  So as I was driving toward the Oregon border I saw a sign for a winery and decided to stop at Glenns Ferry, Idaho.

Now as you can see, this was a pretty little winery, not far from the Snake River, and they have about 40 acres of grapes that they grow themselves, but they also source from some other vineyards in the Snake River Valley.  I went into their tasting room and was surprised by the quality of the wines, though they weren't like Napa Valley, some of them were quite good, so I ended up leaving with a half case!

Tonight's wine is the 2004 Carmela Idaho Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now I let the wine open up a bit in the glass for about 45 minutes, but it's still a much lighter bodied Cab than might be typical of the big wines of Napa, but it's nice to see the way different terroirs express themselves through the grape and into the glass.  The wine present a nose of cedar, black pepper, an black currant, along with stronger notes of earth and musk.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with hints of blackberry and a peppery spice, the tannins are surprisingly mellow creating a very smooth, dry finish.

It's an interesting wine that really shows the dry climate and volcanic soils of the region, and although I had to drive 1,800 miles to get it, I'd rate this wine a solid 7.  From a region whose wines I hadn't tried before, this one was a nice surprise.  As for pairings, tonight I am having it with a typical Idaho dinner of rare Angus T-bone steak, along with some wonderful grilled veggies, including red onion, leeks, purple asparagus, red, orange and white peppers, yummy!

2006 Chateau Pavillon Bel-Air Lalande de Pomerol

Ok, I'll admit it, but I hate taking a break from so many great Walla Walla wines, but I am guessing you're getting a little tired of them even if I'm not!  So today let's take a break and go back to Bordeaux for a wonderful summer wine, the 2006 Chateau Pavillon Bel-Air Lalande de Pomerol!

This wine is a nice, classic blend of Merlot (75%) and Cabernet Franc (25%) which creates a somewhat lighter style of wine, but one with some complex flavors and nuances that really make it a wonderful wine for food, or just sipping on the patio.  In the glass, this wine is a translucent bright ruby color, with a nose of soft ripe fruit and a hint of rose petals.  The taste is well rounded, with soft berries and ripe plums which give way to well structured tannins providing for a wonderful, smooth, dry finish that is so characteristic of a nice Bordeaux.

I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out, I think on a cheapskate Wednesday, so how could I beat that?  This one is a great everyday drinking Bordeaux, and with a lighter body it's perfect for warm summer evenings.  At a price of just $14, I can't help but love this wine and would give it a solid 7.5!  Tonight I am beginning by enjoying a glass of this wine with some wonderful red and green Cerignola olives on the patio (wine and olives are such wonderful companions aren't they?) but soon enough I'll grill a wonderful 2" thick ribeye I've been marinading since this afternoon!  Combine that with some roasted peppers and a lovely Tuscan white bean salad and I'll be wonderfully sated! Sante!

2010 14 Hands Hot to Trot Columbia Valley Red

So yes, I know it's March Madness, and the day before St. Patrick's Day (not a stellar wine holiday I must say), but you know what?  It's still March and that means it's still Washington Wine Month!  So I went out today to a local merchant near my office called Grand Central Market to find an interesting bottle, as I recall last year they had a nice selection of Washington Wines.  Well in the last year, they've remodeled the store and drastically cut down the size of their wine selection, but fortunately they still had a selection of 6 or 7 Washington reds, so I wasn't disappointed.

There was a nice bottle of Powers Cabernet, and some Columbia Crest which I've never been all that impressed with.  In the end it came down to two, one was a red blend from the Mt. Rainier area, which I'm not as familiar with, and it had a screw cap (you know how I am not a fan of screw caps!). Then there was a familiar label of the 14 Hands Winery, I've had their Cabernet a few times and it always was a nice everyday drinking wine, at a very good price.  This bottle was a red blend that I wasn't familiar with, but I trust the winery, and I do love nice red blends, so what the heck, give it a try.

The wine is a blend, primarily of Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few other varietals added for good measure.  The wine itself has a garnet color with very little opacity, suggesting a lighter style wine, which is perfect on what ended up being a record 80-degree day!  The nose had hints of leather, vanilla and candied apple, with a bit of a smoky edge to it.  The taste is very fruit forward, with plenty of ripe cherries, plums and blackberry, and a bit of sweetness that gets right to the edge of too sweet, but then pulls you back with the mellow tannins that are just enough to give you that twang back from the brink of sweet preserves.  The tannins are also just enough to give the wine a clean, crisp finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7, given that it's still pretty young and likely to develop further over the next year or two, and the price isn't bad either, I found this bottle for $11.  I had a glass tonight with some simple pasta and red sauce, but I don't really envision this to be a food wine, rather it's an ideal wine for enjoying a glass or three on the patio on a mild spring or summer evening, watching the sun set and putting a relaxing finish on a hard day.  Speaking of which, it's time for me to relax and watch some hoops!

2007 Tiare Impériale Châteauneuf-du-Pape

You know, I've really come to love the wines of southern France more and more over the last several months.  Whether a nice blend of Grenache from the Longuedoc, or a classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhône, these wines are just great expressions of the region.  The 2007 Tiare Impériale Châteauneuf-du-Pape represents the classic aspects of this wine, which dates back to Pope Clement V, the former archbishop of Bordeaux who relocated the papacy to the French city of Avignon in 1308.  As great lovers of wine, the popes of the 70-years of Avignon popes did a lot to promote the wines of Burgundy and the Rhône, and eventually this wine became known as "Vin du Pape" or wine of the pope, to today's Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The wine itself is a blend of 13 different grape varieties, dominated by the classic blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (GSM anyone?).  The wine was somewhat opaque with a beautify reddish purple color.  The nose was somewhat earthy, with hints of tobacco and leather.  The taste was somewhat fruited, with cherries and a bit of licorice.  The tannins were quite mellow for such a young wine, leading to a somewhat soft finish.  Overall, this wine really brought to mind the lovely warm Mediterranean breezes of the Côte d’Azur, and if you can get that feeling from a bottle of wine, it can't be all bad! 

As for pairings, I think this wine would be lovely with a variety of seafood dishes, or even a bouillabaisse for those who are more adventurous!  Overall, this wine was a fairly good value for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I think I bought it from Wines Till Sold Out for under $30.  For my rating, I would put this one at a solid 8, it's a nice example of the wine, but there was definitely room for improvement.  Salut!

2008 Cloudline Pinot Noir

This wine was part of our "Best of" wine tasting, and what's not to love about a Pinor Noir from Oregon?  Now I'll be the first to admit that I am not the biggest fan of Pinor Noir, but having lived in Portland for a few years and traveling extensively throughout the Willamette Valley, I have to admit it kinda grows on you!

The 2008 Cloudline Oregon Pinot Noir is not a pure Willamette Valley wine, but is a blend of wine from a variety of Oregon vineyards.  This is one of the lighter Pinot Noirs that I've had, and it tends to have more delicate flavors than some heavier wines.  The wine itself has a nose that is somewhat woodsy, with mild floral aromas, that hints at the lightness.  As for the taste, it's a fruit forward wine with hints of blackberry and an almost honey-like sweetness, with a finish that was somewhat lacking.  This wine is light enough that I would hesitate to pair it with a full meal, instead I think it's an ideal wine for a cheese course, particularly made up soft cheeses that would not overpower the delicate nature of this wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's certainly not a "knock your socks off" sort of wine, but for the $12-15 price tag, it certainly is a value among Oregon Pinots!

2008 Liberty School Cuvee

Ok, I will fully admit now that I've been a total and complete slacker on my wine blog, part of it's due to not drinking a whole lot of interesting wines lately, but also the fact that I have been super busy.  With what, I'm not so sure, since I can't recall accomplishing much over the last few weeks!

Tonight I am reviewing the Liberty School 2008 Cuvee, an interesting blend that I've never tried before.  In the past I've tried Liberty School's cabernet sauvignon and was a pretty big fan, a nice bold cab at an awesome price.  So I happened upon this wine at my regular rounds to G. B. Russo's in Grand Rapids and it was on sale for something like $10, which is sure to get me to try new things.  Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.

The Liberty School Cuvee comes from Paso Robles, on the central coast of California, and a place where some of the most wonderful Zinfandels come.  But this wine is not a Zin, but an up and coming blend (which apparently is becoming a big deal in the central coast, who knew?).  This wine is a blend of Syrah, Petite Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier, making it so close to the fine blends from the south of France that I have so come to adore.

This wine is a lighter style that is really perfect for summer, or a summery 80-degree afternoon in early October!  It's light in color, but crystal clear, with a nose that exhibits clear fruit aromas of cherry, blackberry and currant and a hint of smokiness.  The taste was lighter and fruit forward, but nonetheless complex.  With flavors of cherry, strawberry and plum combined with hints of black pepper and anise, I was surprised by the soft tannins and resulting smooth dry finish reminiscent of the fine blends of the Rhone Valley.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, particularly given the $10 price tag!  Try some today with a grilled salmon steak or perhaps a nice pork tenderloin with some freshly grilled summer squash!

2009 Il Bastardo Rosso di Toscana

Happy Labor Day!  What a wonderful holiday to celebrate the end of summer, and in some cases a last hurrah for summer barbecues and cook outs, such a shame, but alas the changing seasons adds such spice to life doesn't it?

So on this Labor Day, I decided to go to the supermarket to get some groceries and perhaps find something good for my dinner this evening.  Well, I was thinking perhaps a nice steak, maybe a nice pork tenderloin, but let's not decide too quickly, and instead just let the super sales inspire me! 

We'll turn to my dinner in a moment, but for the wine tonight I picked out one of my old time favorites, the 2009 Il Bastardo Rosso di Toscana, a lighter red wine from Tuscany which would pair very well with my dinner.  Plus it has to have one of my favorite labels of all time, Il Bastardo himself, relaxing with a glass of his wine, oh how I can identify with this man!

The wine itself as I said was on the lighter side, with a clear ruby color and a nose of light fruit, leather and a touch of cedar.  The taste is quite dry, with a hint of ripe fruit, very few tannins and an exceptionally dry finish.  This wine would pair well with so many dishes, from steaks to roasts, to chicken and fish.  So what am I pairing it with tonight?  Well I started at one supermarket, where I like their produce, but not so much their meat (do you have that problem, you find yourself doing your grocery shopping at multiple stores?  I guess it's just like the old days before supercenters, where you went to a bakery, a butcher shop and a farm stand for your food...) but they had a nice Labor Day sale on fresh sweet corn, locally grown for 10¢ an ear so I picked up some, since that can go with any cook out!  Then off to the other store for some meat, still thinking about steak or pork tenderloin, when there I see the live lobsters for only $8 each!  So that is dinner tonight, steamed lobster with drawn butter and corn on the cob!  A real New England holiday meal in the Midwest, though it also reminds me of back in college when the Civil Air Patrol sold Maine lobsters for like $5 each as a fundraiser, so every fall when we got back on campus we'd have our annual lobster fest!

So back to the wine, it's not all that impressive, but it did make that Lobster come alive with flavor, and for $8, how can you complain about Il Bastardo?  With that label alone, I give this wine a solid 7!  Enjoy the end of summer however you celebrate!

2009 Chateau de la Taille Bordeaux

Ahhh...summer time, it's officially here and it's such an awesome time for enjoying the joy of outdoor cooking, or "cookouts" as we used to call them!  Although having my 60,000 BTU Charbroil grill allows me to grill steaks, fish, chops and other sundry items year round, it really comes into its own during the sweltering days of summer.  So today, I am enjoying my grill along with a bottle of 2009 Chateau de la Taille Bordeaux, another bottle from that super vintage (at least as it's been billed) from France.

Now don't get me wrong, the experts who tasted from barrels are probably right on, but given that for us plebians it takes at least 4 or 5 years for a great or even mediocre Bordeaux to be drinkable much less outstanding, it's really an unfair tease in my opinion.  Granted, I did order a case of '09 Margaux on futures and can't wait for it to arrive sometime in 2012, but come on!  We all know the reason we buy great bottles of wine is not to satisfy our squirrel instinct for stocking the cellar, but to enjoy the great wine now! 

Well, fortunately, many of the early 2009 Bordeaux are drinking quite nicely right now.  Could they benefit from time in the cellar, certainly, but that doesn't mean we must opt for future enjoyment over immediate satisfaction.  Such is the case with today's wine, a wonderful blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec (this might be a somewhat familiar blend to those who like me, enjoy the Bordeaux blends of the Pacific Northwest).  I've found in my personal experience, the early releases that have a heavy Merlot emphasis tend to drink much better right now than many other blends, particularly the heartier wines like a recent St. Emilion I purchased and can't imagine opening until 2014.

This wine is a very young wine, with ample fruit.  The nose exhibits some hints of cedar and leather, with a strong body of fruit, ranging from cherry to dark plum.  The taste is quite light right now, and very dry with silky tannins for a long finish.  Unlike some others I've tried, this wine is actually drinking quite nicely right now, though it's certainly worthy of another year or two in the cellar. I've heard some suggest this would be a great wine with lighter fare or perhaps some soft cheeses (but come on, what wine wouldn't go well with a fine brie?), but call me crazy, I'm going to enjoy this bottle with a summer cookout of a prime porterhouse steak, grilled rare (oh yes, cool red center please!), some red, yellow and orange peppers roasted in extra virgin olive oil and some fresh sweet corn grilled in the husk!  Ohhhh my!

This wine is still young, and I would rate it 7.5, certainly with room to grow.  I expecially like it at the bargain price of $9 that I found it for at my favorite local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's!  So crack open a bottle and get grilling!  Salut!

2006 Terra D'Aligi Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

Ahhh...I've been neglecting my happy little blog, so here is a first review for the month of June!  Today, I distributed our monthly office "Wine Club" selection, the 2006 Terra D'aligi Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, what I consider an ideal selection to start off the warm summer months.  For those unfamiliar, this wine originates in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy and is made of 100% Montepulciano grapes (though technically up to 10% Sangiovese is allowed and still maintain the DOC).  Unlike it's Tuscan cousins, the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo is really meant to be consumed young given the rather dry composure and soft tannins typically associated with it.  It is also usually quite a bit lighter than many of the heavier wines we often see today (think "big bold cabs from California).

It is this lighter side that makes it an ideal wine to enjoy at a summer barbecue with a nice ribeye grilled medium rare (or in my case lightly seared), or some nice kabobs or even burgers and dogs on the fourth of July!  It would also pair well with a platter of nice aged parmesan, asiago and romano cheese, or a wonderful array of grilled peppers, zucchini and eggplant!  I need to stop now, I'm making myself hungry and I haven't even started supper!

This particular wine, though a little more mature, exhibits the essence of an early summer wine.  I saw one critic recommend letting this one breathe for an hour, but heck I don't have time for that, so on we go!  The nose exhibits hints of leather, cedar, spice and dark cherries.  The color is a deep purple, which belies the lighter mouthfeel and more composed flavors.  The taste is an interesting blend of ripe fruit, a hint of spice with an exceptionally dry finish.  Overall, I would rate this one a very respectable 8, which coincidentally matches its bargain price tag of only $8!  I picked up a case of this for the Wine Club through Wines Till Sold Out, but if you can find it at your local wine merchant, pick up a bottle and start the summer off right!

2006 Riscal Tempranillo

What a long and busy day!  I came home and thought about opening a good bottle of wine, but it's only Monday!  If my life is this hard already this week I'd be drinking gasoline by the weekend...on second thought, good wine is now cheaper than gasoline!  Instead I've opened up one of my bargain bottles from a few weeks ago so I can save money to drive to work next week, and this one is a very nice 2006 Riscal Tempranillo from Spain.  It's quite light, with a rich red color, though not as opaque as some heartier reds.  As you raise the glass to your mouth, you notice a distinct aroma of leather, cedar and tobacco, but then the taste is rather unexpected.  Quite dry, with hints of cherry, blackberry and licorice with a rather light feel, perfect for a warm spring evening after a long day.  I'm enjoying this with some nice Italian cheese and the lightness of the wine is a sharp contract to the flavors or parmesan and asiago, perhaps a study in contradictions!

Although this wine is certainly not a big bold cab or anything like some of the finer reds of Bordeaux or Italy, it's really nice, expecially considering the value.  I purchased a few bottles of this wine on close out at my local wine merchant (and all around awesome Italian store) G.B. Russo's for the unbelieveable price of just $3.49 per bottle!  The wine does have a screw cap, which is good for some demerits, but really, how could I complain?  For all this, I would rate this wine a solid 6.  Salut!

2005 Château La Tour de Bessan Margaux

Ahh...it's been a stressful week, and today I am just in a foul mood, but it's 4 o'clock and time to relax with a glass of wine.  To treat myself today, I decided to take myself back to France, and enjoy "Printemps à Paris," imagining myself back in the warm breeze enjoying a glass of fine bordeaux at a sidewalk cafe overlooking the Eiffel Tower.  And to do that without dealing with the morons from the TSA, I have to just open a nice bottle of Margaux, this one from the exceptional 2005 vintage from Château La Tour de Bessan.  Arguably, Margaux is the king of bordeaux, and it is really the most elegant and complex wine of the Médoc (and when I was first introduced to fine red wines on my first visit to France, the Haut Médoc was a personal favorite). 

This wine certainly does not disappoint!  It's still quite young (6 years old is merely a babe when it comes to Margaux, and this one will age nicely for the next 20 years), and aleady it's very dry.  In the nose it has a wondeful hint of leather and earth with the faintest hint of cassis.  It has a lightness, yet a rich, velvelty mouthfeel, with a taste of spice that really lets the gravelly terroir of margaux shine through.  With every sip, the wine exhibits more complexity, with a long, smooth finish.  In my mind, this wine would complement almost any meal, as it does not over power, but simply expresses itself in an understated way as only a fine bordeaux can.  Even more importantly, this wine is great all by itself, as I relax and enjoy it, bringing back memories of Paris.  It's really almost impossible to describe how different a fine French bordeax can feel and taste, particularly if you are used to the big bold cabs of Napa Valley, or even the more fruit forward bordeaux blends of the Columbia Valley in Washington.  A fine bordeaux is in a class by itself, and thankfully, a benefit of the great recession is that many of these great wines are even more affordable than ever, with this wine recently coming down in price from $44 to only $34, and well worth every penny!  Now I just need to grab a bit of nicely aged cheese and finish enjoying my afternoon with this wine.  Oh, and as for a rating, I would give this one a solid 9, and I'm sure that rating will only expand if I taste it again in 2015 or 2020!  À votre santé!

Thank you Trader Joe's!

Ok, so I was out in Ypsilanti today at Eastern Michigan University for the CFA West Michigan Global Investment Research Challenge, and it was a lot of fun, brought back memories of college, and most importantly gave me an opportunity to stop at the Trader Joe's in Ann Arbor on the way home!  For those of you who don't know, TJ's is a great little store with many hard to find and otherwise great food and wine items super cheap!  I got some nice proscuitto, some great cheese, some fresh mozzarella balls, some frozen Maryland Crab Cakes (for my Maryland friends, they are not the ones you are used to, but for Michigan they are flippin awesome!), some frozen flounder stuffed with crabmeat, some great organic salsa and chips and a nice authentic baguette (to make my proscuitto, mozzarella and roasted pepper sandwich!).

And that brings us to what is in my glass right now!  I got a bottle of Les Portes de Bordeaux 2009, a nice simple bordeaux table wine.  Is it awesome?  Well no.  Is it great?  Well no.  But it's a nice drinking red table wine, with some twang, nice tannins, hints of leather and a very dry overall taste (as all good bordeauxs should be!).  I would rate this one a 6, but it's a nice wine and really, how could I complain when the price was just $4.99!  Yes you read that correctly, less than five bucks for a bottle of bordeaux from the greatest vintage in the past 30 years!  This one could use a few more years in the cellar, but I am drinking it now too!